UNIVERSITY  OF 
HilNOIS  LIBRARY 

ATXIRBANA'CHAMPAIGN 
CMLA 


f,M 


«.« 


Nebraska  Educational  Bulletin 


APRIL,  1916 


Volume  Two 


Number  One 


Published  quarterly  by  the  State  Department  of  Public  Instruction, 
Lincoln,    Nebraska. 


LANDSCAPE  GARDENING  AS  APPLIED 
TO  SCHOOL  GROUNDS 


STATE  OF  NEBRASKA 

DEPARTMENT  OF  PUBLIC   INSTRUCTION 

LINCOLN 


Next  to  the  home,  the  school   should   be  the  pleasantest  place   in  the  comniiinity 


DEPARTMENT  OF  PUBLIC  INSTRUCTION 
LINCOLN,   NEBRASKA 

A.  0.  Thomas,  State  Superintendent. 

Alice  C.  Stanley,  Deputy  Superintendent. 
A.  V.  Teed,  Assistant  for  Kural  Education. 
Lulu  S.  AVolford,  Assistant  for  Rural  Education. 


Prepared  By 

Prof.  Tell  W.  Nicolet 

of  the  University  of  Nebraska, 

Department    of    Horticulture. 


LANDSCAPE  GARDENING  AS  APPLIED 
TO  SCHOOL  GROUNDS 


VISION  is  essential  to  intelligent  progress  in  large 
undertakings  and  that  vision  must  be  complete  and 
must  embrace  all  phases  of  the  development  of  the 
project.  The  increased  interest  in  our  country- 
schools  and  a  keener  appreciation  of  the  possibilities 
of  country  life  make  possible  advancement  in  many 
avenues  formerly  closed.  As  we  become  aware  of 
our  opportunities  and  possibilities  in  the  State  of  Nebraska  we 
shall  exert  ourselves  more  systematically  to  bring  things  to  pass. 
Next  to  the  home  the  school  should  be  the  most  important  place  in 
the  community.  This  has  not  been  taken  into  serious  considera- 
tion in  most  instances. 

The  schools  of  our  state  are  like  unto  two  sisters  of  one  house- 
hold ;  the  one  beautiful,  the  other  plain  and  even  homely ;  the  one 
arrayed  in  fine  linen,  the  other  clad  in  the  coarse  garments  of 
menial  toil;  the  one  stationed  in  the  parlor  amid  paintings,  stat- 
uary, literature  and  music,  the  other  delegated  to  the  rear  of  the 
house  among  pots  and  pans;  the  one  presented  to  all  the  gay 
comers,  the  other  shunned  as  of  small  consequence.  Go  where 
you  will  about  the  state  and  in  our  towns  and  cities  you  will  see, 
crowning  the  hilltop,  splendid  edifices,  marble  palaces  pointed  out 
with  extravagant  pride;  while  out  in  the  country  the  little  old 
schoolhouse,  cheaply  built,  with  battered  sides,  stands  hidden  in 
the  vale  or  bleak  on  the  hilltop,  with  no  vestige  of  verdure  but 
sunflowers  and  ragweeds  —  and  yet  the  most  of  our  children  are 
in  the  country  and  the  mainstay  of  our  democracy' receives  its 
preparation  in  this  little  institution. 

Realizing  the  possibilities  the  country  affords  for  contented, 
prosperous  and  useful  life,  and  the  needs  of  some  systematic  ef- 
fort to  "brighten  the  corner  where  we  are,"  the  Department  has 
asked  Professor  Nicolet.  the  landscape  architect  of  the  University 
of  Nebraska,  to  prepare  the  material  which  this  bulletin  contains 
hoping  to  stimulate  greater  activity  in  beautifying  our  schools. 
Much  of  the  improvement  herein  called  for  may  be  accomplished 


[5] 


by  the  pupils  through  the  encouragement  of  the  parents  and  the 
Board  of  Trustees. 

While  this  bulletin  is  calculated  especially  for  the  villages  and 
the  country  districts,  it  contains  many  suggestions  profitable  to 
our  towns  and  cities. 

A.  0.  THOMAS,  State  Superintendent. 

LANDSCAPE  GARDENING  AS  APPLIED  TO  RURAL  SCHOOL 

GROUNDS 

INTRODUCTION 

The  movement  to  beautify  school  grounds,  which  is 
fast  spreading  over  our  country,  has  made  very  rapid 
The  move-    progress  during  the  last  few  years.     People  have  be- 
ment  to        gun  to  realize  the  value  of  school  grounds  properly 
beautify        laid  out  in  accordance  with  the  principles  of  land- 
school  scape   gardening,   and  with  the   proper  relationship 
grounds        between  the  building  and  the  various  parts  of  the 
grounds ;  such  as  gardens,  play  areas,  lawn  areas  and 
planting  masses. 

EXISTING  CONDITIONS 
From  the  general  appearance  of  most  of  our  Ne- 
braska school  grounds,  it  is  evident  that  something 
Grounds       should  be  done  to  make  them  more  inviting  to  the 
generally     students.     We  have  learned  the  value  of  proper  light- 
overlooked  ing  and  ventilating  which  has  been  expressed  in  the 
design  of  most  of  the  rural  schoolhouses  that  have 
been  built  during  the  last  few  years ;  but  in  regard  to 
the  arrangements  of  the  grounds  there  seems  to  have 
been  practically  no  forethought  emphasized  in  any 
degree.     It  appears  that  country  schools  have  been  re- 
garded as  just  places  to  send  children  in  order  that 
they  might  secure  an  education  :  tliere  has  been  little 
regard  for  a  proper  environment. 

The   few   trees  that   exist   on   most   of  the   school 

Plantings     grounds  of  this  country  at  large  have  been  placed 

•    there  by  nature,  but  in  Nebraska,  except  where  trees 

have  been  planted,  the  school  grounds  are  entirely  de- 

[6] 


void  of  any  sort  of  tree  or  shrub  growth.  Some  at- 
tempt has  been  made,  however,  to  plant  a  few  trees 
for  the  purpose  of  a  windbreak  along  the  north  and 
west  boundaries  of  the  school  lot,  but  it  has  failed  to 
give  satisfactory  results,  from  the  esthetical  as  well  as 
the  practical  standpoint  in  nearly  all  instances. 

It  is  to  be  acknowledged  that  children  must  play; 
the  larger  boys  are  wont  to  participate  in  the  various 
sports  such  as  football,  baseball,  basketball,  etc.,  as 
well  as  gymnastics ;  the  larger  girls  in  basketball,  vol- 
leyball, croquet,  etc.,  and  the  smaller  children  play 
under  the  direct  supervision  of  the  school  teacher. 
Need  for  This  fact  has  given  rise  to  the  introduction  of  organ- 
play  areas  ized  play  in  most  of  the  large  municipal  play  grounds 
in  this  country  as  well  as  to  those  occurring  in  many 
of  the  rural  districts.  Proper  attention  should  be 
paid  to  the  size  and  location  of  these  areas  as  well  as 
the  other  elements  such  as  the  school  garden,  the  out- 
buildings, walks,  etc.  It  is  certainly  not  out  of  place 
to  provide  for  such  a  demand  in  the  laying  out  of  our 
school  grounds. 

Most  country  school  grounds  are  entirely  too  small. 
The  children  who  are  being  brought  up  in  the  country 
are  not  accustomed  to  being  cramped  in  narrow  quar- 
ters. They  enjoy  the  freedom  of  open  country,  the 
views  of  miles  about  them,  and  for  this  reason  the  ru- 
ral school  grounds  should  carry  out  the  same  idea  as 
Size  of  expressed  by  the  surrounding  country.  As  has  been 
school  stated  before,  boys  and  girls  must  play ;  and  if  the 

grounds  gounds  cannot  provide  sufficient  area  for  baseball, 
football,  and  other  games,  the  areas  which  should  be 
in  lawn  as  well  as  that  of  the  road  will  be  utilized  for 
this  purpose.  For  any  community  that  wishes  to  im- 
prove the  conditions  of  its  school  grounds  no  better 
advice  could  be  given  at  the  start  than  that  of  the  pur- 
chase of  more  land.  This  must,  of  course,  be  war- 
ranted by  a  sufficient  number  of  students. 

All  children,  even  the  smallest,  delight  in  a  health- 

[7] 


ful  and  beautiful  environment  and  for  this  reason 
alone  it  is  essential  that  the  school  grounds  be  design- 
ed from  an  esthetical  point  of  view  as  well  as  the  prac- 
tical. The  esthetical  side  of  a  child's  education  must 
not  be  entirely  neglected  and  if  the  students  of  the 
rural  schools  are  given  a  chance  to  beautify  the 
grounds,  they  will  not  only  acquire  some  knowledge 
Education-  of  landscape  design  but  will  also  become  acquainted 
al  value  with  trees,  shrubs,  and  perennials,  their  planting  and 
culture.  Any  school  containing  play  areas  protected 
by  an  adequate  windbreak,  will  most  certainly  attract 
the  country  child  to  it.  Furthermore,  it  would  serve 
as  a  center  of  rural  improvement  where  people  of  the 
community  could  come  in  order  to  secure  ideas  for  the 
development  of  the  home  grounds. 

With  these  conditions  in  mind  it  is  the  intention  of 
the  writer  to  so  describe  the  design  of  rural  school 
grounds  that  they  may  fulfill  all  of  the  above  require- 
ments. 

THE  PLAN 

In  the  design  of  any  ground,  whether  private,  pub- 
lic, or  that  of  the  school,  the  plan  is  very  important. 
In  the  first  place  the  designer  is  better  able  to  study 
the  problem  at  hand  by  means  of  a  plan.  Usually,  no 
two  school  grounds  are  exactly  the  same  size,  shape, 
have  the  same  kind  of  soil,  or  the  same  views ;  in  fact, 
the  schoolhouses  themselves  are  of  various  sizes  and 
placed  in  different  positions  upon  the  ground.  By  the 
Value  of  use  of  a  plan  one  is  able  to  see  the  entire  situation  at  a 
a  plan  glance  and  accordingly  is  better  able  to  lay  out  the 

different  units :  such  as  play  grounds,  lawn,  planting 
areas,  school  gardens,  as  well  as  the  location  of  the 
sanitaries.  The  relation  of  schoolhouse  to  grounds, 
of  walks  to  grounds  and  school  house,  of  planting  area 
to  laA^Ti  areas,  etc.,  can  be  studied  out  with  a  greater 
degree  of  accuracy  by  means  of  a  graphic  plan  than 
they  could  be  without  it.     Not  only  would  the  rela- 

[8] 


tionship  of  different  areas  be  made  evident,  but  the  de- 
signer would  be  better  able  to  study  out  the  exact  lo- 
cation of  the  planting  areas,  the  sizes  of  the  beds  for 
the  shrubs,  as  well  as  the  number  of  shrubs  which 
should  be  planted  in  any  particular  group.  In  the  sec- 
ond place  a  plan  outlines  a  definite  policy  of  develop- 
ment. This  permits  the  carrying  out  of  the  plan  over 
a  number  of  years  if  it  is  not  possible  to  realize  the  de- 
signer's idea  at  one  time.  Thirdly,  a  very  important 
value  of  a  plan,  if  properly  executed  and  hung  in  a 
conspicuous  place,  would  be  to  create  in  the  parents 
as  well  as  the  children  themselves  an  interest  in  the 
development  of  that  particular  school  ground.  The 
best  place  to  display  such  a  plan  would  be  in  the 
schoolhouse  itself  where  the  students  might  study  and 
observe  how  it  is  being  carried  out. 


kMoi      Gauea; 


-)OTL0MEA| 


-Of- 

CoAsoLiMTEPjciiooL  kmm 

C0rt*l!.L51Aq  uMur  [ivt  Achts 


^ 


5c«00L  QaJ-BW 


Pigr.  1 

A   susnest«=d   Dlan   of  arransement   for   the   consolidated   school    g^rounds. 
The  schoolhouse  is  located   to   the   left  of   the  center  of   the   lot   and   the 

[9] 


teachers'  cottage  placed  in  close  proximity  to  it.  The  girls'  and  small 
children's  play  area  is  located  near  the  school  house,  hence  under  the 
watchful  eyes  of  the  teachers.  The  barn  and  parking-  space,  where  the 
students  may  leave  their  horses  and  carriages  during  school  hours,  are 
located  in  the  lower  right  hand  corner  of  the  design.  The  boys'  playfield 
contains  a  full  size  baseball  diamond,  a  260  yard  running  track  as  well  as 
provisions  for  other  field  events.  The  area  to  the  left  of  the  design  is  set 
apart  for  the  school  gardens. 

MAIN  CONSIDERATIONS  IN  THE  DEVELOP- 
MENT OF  THE  PLAN 

Naturally,  there  are  school  grounds  which  are  locat- 
ed on  the  north,  south,  east,  or  west  sides  of  the  road 
and  the  design  of  the  grounds  must  necessarily  be  in- 
fluenced by  this  orientation.  For  instance,  if  the 
school  building  faces  the  south  the  windbreak  which 
should  be  along  the  north  side  of  the  property  would 
Orienta-  naturally  be  located  behind  the  buildmg.  If,  how- 
tion  ever,  the  building  faces  the  north,  as  is  the  case  with 

the  school  in  District  36  in  Madison  county,  Nebraska, 
(See  Fig.  3),  it  may  be  necessary  to  put  the  windbreak 
in  front  of  the  building  along  the  road  line.  If  this  is 
done,  an  entirely  different  treatment  will  be  necessary 
in  the  grouping  of  the  trees  and  shrubs  which  compose 
the  windbreak. 

The  shape  of  the  lot  will  have  a  marked  influence 
on  the  general  arrangement  of  the  grounds.     A  long, 
narrow  lot  with  the  short  side  abutting  the  highway 
Shape  to  all  intents  and  purposes  will  make  .just  as  suitable 

of  lot  a  layout  as  a  long,  narrow  lot  with  the  long  side  fac- 

ing the  road.  The  square  lot  will  make  still  another 
scheme  of  development.  It  will  be  easily  seen  that  in 
the  first  case  (See  Fig  2)  the  area  between  the  school 
house  and  the  road  may  be  kept  in  lawn  with  perhaps 
one  or  two  walks  crossing  it  and  that  the  play  areas 
and  school  gardens  can  be  placed  behind  the  school 
house.  In  the  case  of  the  long,  narrow  lot  with  the 
long  side  facing  the  road  (Fig  3)  the  building  may  be 
placed  in  about  the  center  of  the  lot,  with  the  lawn 
lying  between  it  and  the  road.  The  playground  for 
boys  might  then  be  placed  on  one  side  of  the  structure 

[10] 


and  that  for  the  girls  ou  the  other.  As  for  the  square 
lot  (Fig,  4)  the  problem  of  arranging  the  grounds  be- 
comes a  little  more  difficult.  The  lawn  area  should,  as 
in  the  case  of  the  previous  example,  be  located  in  front 
of  the  schoolhouse  and  in  some  cases  it  may  also  extend 
on  both  sides,  while  the  play  grounds  must  necessari- 
ly be  located,  in  most  cases,  in  the  rear  of  the  lot.  The 
boys  and  girls  playsteads  should  be  separated  by  a 
marked  barrier  which  may  be  in  the  form  of  a  shrub- 
bery or  in  some  instances  merely  a  straight  walk. 
Thus,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  shape  of  the  lot  will  in- 
fluence the  arrangement  of  the  different  parts  to  a 
very  considerable  extent,  and  it  must  be  borne  in 
mind  that  before  any  planting  of  school  grounds  is 
undertaken  the  plan  of  arrangement  must  first  be 
completed. 

As  before  stated  the  school  grounds  are  not  large 
enough  for  the  purposes  which  they  are  supposed  to 
serve.  In  case  of  small  school  grounds  which  com- 
prise, let  us  say,  one  quarter  of  an  acre,  it  is  almost 
impossible  for  the  students  to  indulge  in  any  of  the 
Size  of  field  sports.  The  baseball  diamond  requires  an  area 
grounds  of  about  one  and  one-half  acres,  but  it  is  not  always 
necessary  to  have  a  full  sized  one.  There  are  a  great 
many  miniature  diamonds  made  with  but  40  to  50  feet 
between  the  bases  which  are  adapted  for  exigencies  of 
this  sort.  Where  there  are  50  students  attending  a 
school  the  grounds  should  comprise  no  less  than  three 
acres,  and  if  there  are  75  or  100  students  the  grounds 
should  be  at  least  four  to  five  acres.  The  grounds  of 
the  proposed  consolidated  school  will  include  about 
five  acres.  It  would  be  better  to  have  more  land  than 
is  absolutely  needed  at  the  present  time  in  order  to 
provide  for  expected  growth  in  the  future. 

It  is  not  best  to  locate  the  school  on  low  ground,  be- 
cause there  arises  not  only  the  question  of  drainage 
but  also  the  matter  of  outlook  which  must  be  some- 
what narrow  in  such  situations.     It  is  likewise  disas- 

[11] 


r^hoc^  dfi 


This  is  a  long,  narrow  lot  with  the  short  side  fac- 
inK  the  roadway.  The  ar<^a  on  both  sides  of  the 
schoolhouse  is  kept  comparatively  open  and  but  two 
trees  used   to   enframe   the  building. 


[12] 


trous  to  locate  the  school  on  top  of  a  hill  where  it 
would  be  subjected  to  severe  exposure.  The  south- 
Selection  east  slope  is  best.  In  regard  to  the  section  it  is  better 
of  a  site  to  locate  the  schoolhouse  on  the  corner  where  it  will 
be  most  accessible.  Furthermore,  if  it  can  be  placed 
on  the  northwest  or  northeast  corner  it  will  be  better 
adapted  to  a  scheme  of  development  inasmuch  as 
the  windbreaks  would  be  in  the  rear,  where  they 
would  not  only  serve  as  protections  but  also  act,  es- 
thetically,  as  a  background. 

The  careful  consideration  of  all  good  views  which 
Views  may  be  obtained  from  the  school  is  very  important. 

In  many  cases  the  design  itself  might  be  influenced 
by  some  particular  and  dominant  view. 

Climatic  and  soil  conditions  must  not  be  overlooked 
Plantings     and  the  designer  must  use  only  those  trees  and  shrubs 
influenced    which  he  knows  will  thrive  in  that  particular  location, 
by  climate  For  this  reason  the  material  obtained  from  the  nearest 
and  soil        nursery  will  more  often  prove  to  be  the  best  to  use. 
Prevailing  winds  must  naturally  be  considered  in 
the  laying  out  of  any  grounds  in  our  state.    A  certain 
amount  of  protection  is  needed  from  the  hot  south- 
Prevailing  west  winds  of  summer.     But  these  winds  do  not  bear 
winds  such  a  great  influence  on  the  design  of  school  grounds 

as  the  cold  northwest  winds  of  winter,  at  which  time 
the  school  house  should  be  protected  more  than  at 
any  other  season  of  the  year. 

Naturally,  the  question  of  good  water,  is  important, 

both   for   drinking   purposes   and   for   watering   the 

"Water  lawn,  trees,  and  shrubs.     It  is  a  good  sanitary  pre- 

supply  caution  not  to  locate  the  well  in  close  proximity  to 

the  outhouses. 

The  designer  must  suggest  a  scheme  of  development 
Financial  that  will  be  within  the  financial  means  of  the  district, 
condition  Furthermore  he  should  give  them  a  plan  which  will 
of  com-  require  the  least  amount  of  maintenance.  The  latter 
munity         point  is  indeed  very  important  as  it  is  difficult  to  get 

[13] 


a  hard  working  community  of  farmers  to  allow  time 
for  that  purpose. 


iJistE-ict    3b,     M,ADLSOx      County 
Scale.   Oae.   Lack  Cj.tJAi.s  fveAp-   rtt*> 


rig-.  3 

This  plan  wiU  be  carried  out  by  the  people  of  District  36,  Madison  Coun- 
ty. It  is  to  be  noticed  that  this  long  narrow  lot  has  the  long  side  facing 
the  roadway.  Note  the  boys'  play  area  to  the  left  and  that  for  the  girls  to 
the  right  of  the  schoolhouse  and  that  the  area  between  the  structure  and 
the  rnad  is  kept  in  lawn.  Almost  every  square  foot  of  this  school  ground 
is  utilized. 

PRINCIPLES  OF  LANDSCAPE  GARDENING  THAT 
APPLY  TO  RURAL  SCHOOL  GROUNDS 

Landscape  gardening  is  the  subdivision  of  land  into 
smaller  units  and  the  arrangement  of  objects  upon  it 
so  that  there  will  be  the  maximum  of  utility  combined 
with  the  greatest  amount  of  beauty.  By  this  defini- 
tion it  may  be  readily  seen  that  the  arrangement  of 
Definition  the  grounds  is  of  the  greatest  importance  in  landscape 
work.  This  is  particularly  true  in  the  case  of  school 
grounds  where  the  limited  area  must  serve  so  many 
needs.  The  type  of  development  which  should  be 
chosen  for  school  grounds  is  that  which  will  utilize  the 
greatest  per  cent,  of  the  lot  area. 
There  are  in  general  two  types  of  landscape  garden- 


[14] 


Types  ing;  the  formal  or  geometrical  and  the  informal  or 

natural. 

The  formal  type  is  usually  characterized  by  straight 
lines  or  circular  curves  expressed  by  the  walks, 
hedges,  trees,  etc.,  and  by  an  obvious  balanced  rela- 

Formal  tionship  or  symmetry  of  the  different  units  of  the  de- 
sign about  a  main  axis.  This  type  of  landscape  gar- 
dening produces  the  highest  efficiency  in  the,  utiliza- 
tion of  a  given  area,  and  for  this  reason  it  is  adapted 
for  school  ground  development. 

The  informal  type  is  very  different  from  the  geo- 

Informal  metrical.  The  various  areas  are  generally  non-rect- 
angular in  shape  and  the  symmetry  is  more  incompre- 
hensible. The  walks  are  usually  curved  and  the 
plantings  are  so  designed  that  they  will,  in  a  general 
way  appear  as  though  they  were  planted  by  Nature, 
The  type  of  development  which  is  best  suited  to  ru- 
ral school  grounds  is  one  which  is  formal  in  its  gener- 
al layout  and  informal  in  its  plantings.  This  type 
avails  itself  of  the  economy  of  space  of  the  formal  plan 
without  the  loss  of  the  informal  beauties  so  widely 
associated  with  the  country. 

One  of  the  most  important  principles  of  any  type  of 
landscape  gardening  to  be  considered  is  that  the  lawn 
should  be  left  comparatively  open  in  the  front  and  that 
the  trees  and  shrubs  should  be  planted  in  masses  along 
the  sides  and  back,  as  well  as  around  the  base  of  the 
school  building.  If  the  grounds  are  treated  in  this 
way  it  is  very  easy  to  see  that  there  will  be  a  certain 
oneness  in  effect ;  that  is,  there  will  be  a  unity  in  the 
design.  If,  however,  the  trees  are  planted  in  rows  and 
the  lawn  literally  cluttered  up  with  individual  speci- 
mens there  will  result  a  number  of  objects  all  of 
which  are  competing  for  the  interest  of  the  observer. 

Unity  Naturally  instead  of  producing  one  picture  of  the 

grounds,  we  obtain  a  great  many.  What  we  wish  to 
do  is  to  produce  a  picture  of  the  grounds  with  the 
schoolhouse   as  the   center  of  interest.     Prof.   F.   A. 


Type  for 

school 

grounds 


[15] 


Waugh  has  giveu  us  this  definition  of  unity —  'somo 
idea  should  prevail  throughout  and  all  details  should 
be  subordinate  to  it."  This  is  exactly  what  has  been 
expressed  before  in  this  paragraph  —  that  the  main 
idea  is  the  schoolhouse,  and  no  part  of  the  grounds 
should  be  of  sufficient  interest  to  detract  from  it. 
The  trees  and  shrubs  should  be  so  arranged  that  they 
will  appear  as  one  mass  rather  than  a  number  of  in- 
dividual specimens. 

In  planting  only  one  kind  of  a  shrub  throughout 
there  would  arise  a  certain  unity  both  in  regard  to  size 

Monotony  and  material,  but  the  result  would  be  very  monoton- 
ous. Without  overstepping  unity,  a  certain  amount 
of  variety  can  be  introduced  in  the  plantings  as  well 

Variety  as  in  certain  portions  of  the  design  itself.  Variety 
may  be  obtained  by  varying  the  dimensions  of  the 
play  grounds,  by  introducing  different  kinds  and  sizes 
of  trees  and  shrubs  into  the  border  plantation,  etc. 
There  are  species  of  trees  and  shrubs  which  have  very 
distinctive  shapes,  and  by  their  judicious  use  a  certain 
amount  of  variety  may  be  introduced  in  the  actual 
silhouette  of  the  planting,  as  well  as  in  the  size  and 
color  of  the  flowers,  and  the  time  of  bloom. 

THE  DESIGN 


Location 
of  school- 
house 


Service 


The  school  house,  which  in  most  cases  has  already 
been  located,  should  be  comparatively  near  the  road  in 
order  that  more  area  at  the  rear  of  the  building  may 
be  available  for  play  grounds. 

The  question  of  proper  facilities  for  handling  wood 
and  coal  should  have  careful  consideration.  It  is  of- 
ten necessary  for  a  service  drive  to  enter  the  grounds 
at  some  point  which  will  not  interfere  with  the  play 
area  of  the  school  grounds.  This  drive  should  be  di- 
rect ;  the  coal  shed  and  horse  barn  can  be  placed 
somewhere  along  it  and  perhaps  woven  into  the  pic- 
ture by  the  use  of  trees  and  shrubs. 


[16] 


f  OLML   LlYOUf  fo^  SCiiOOL 

SCALt    Ol^.t    [ACH    taUAL5  fWtAfY    tttf     -^- — 


Pi?.  4. 

Designs  verv  similar  to  the  above  have  been  carried  out  with  a  grr<=>at 
deal  of  success  in  a  few  communities.  Note  that  the  lawn  area  is  keot 
open  and  shaded  by  several  large  deciduous  trees.  The  girls'  and  small 
children's  play  area  is  separated  from  that  of  the  boy's,  and  enclosed  by 
plantings  The  school  garden  is  placed  in  close  proximity  to  both  the  boys 
and  girls'  play  areas.  The  windbreak  is  located  along  the  north  and  west 
sides  of  the  lot.     There  is  very   little  waste  space  in   this   lavout. 


[17] 


The  placing  of  the  sanitaries  should  be  very  care- 
fully considered.     Usually  the  best  location  for  them 
Sanitaries    is  in  the  rear  corners  of  the  property.     In  the  case  of 
a  larger  lot,  the  sanitaries  should  be  placed  in  some 
convenient  relation  to  the  building. 

The  walks  should  usually  be  of  some  coarse  mater- 
ial such  as  crushed  stone,  gravel  or  cinders.     In  any 
case  they  should  have  a  slight  crown  in  order  that  the 
water  might  flow  from  the  surface  as  quickly  as  pos- 
Walks  sible.     Naturally,  the  walks  which  are  located  in  close 

proximity  to  the  schoolhouse  will  be  used  to  a  greater 
degree  than  some  of  the  outlying  ones  and  it  is  thor- 
oughly recommended  therefore  that  they  should  be  of 
some  permanent  material  such  as  brick  or  concrete. 
The  .play  ground  area  for  boys  should  contain,  if 
Play-  possible,  a  basketball  court,  a  baseball  diamond,  and 

grounds  a  running  track.  The  girls  play  area  should  include 
basketball,  volleyball  and  croquet  courts.  The  small 
children's  play  area  might  include  sand  boxes  and 
swings.  The  larger  areas  might  well  be  kept  in  turf. 
In  the  case  of  the  smaller  ones,  where  grass  is  imprac- 
ticable, a  gravel  or  cinder  surfacing  is  to  be  preferred 
to  dirt  inasmuch  as  the  latter  becomes  very  muddy 
after  a  rain  storm. 

Not  every  rural  school  might  need  a  school  garden. 
When  desired,  however,  it  should  be  located  upon  the 
school  lot  and  can  be  made  a  unit  in  the  design  just 
as  well  as  the  playgrounds,  or  the  lawn  areas,  or  the 
schoolhouse.  To  secure  unity  in  the  design  it  will  be 
The  school  almost  necessary  to  enclose  the  garden  by  some  sort 
garden  of  an  artificial  barrier,  such  as  a  fence  covered  with 
vines  or  a  hedge  either  clipped  or  undipped.  The 
hedge  should  consist  of  one  kind  of  shrub,  planted  in 
absolutely  straight  rows  and  close  together.  This 
will  cut  off  the  view  of  the  garden  from  any  part  of 
the  school  yard,  and  thus  the  unity  for  which  we  are 
striving  so  hard,  will  be  maintained. 

Trees  and  shrubs  are,  in  the  main,  the  materials 

[18] 


which  the  landscape  gardener  uses.  They  have  a 
practical  as  well  as  an  esthetical  value.  The  trees 
should  be  so  placed  that  they  will  serve  to  frame  the 
picture  of  the  schoolhouse.  Usually  more  than  one 
view  of  the  schoolhouse  is  desirable  and  trees  should 
be  so  arranged  that  they  will  enframe  all  of  them. 
Trees  to  Not  only  must  the  views  of  the  schoolhouse  be  empha- 
enframe  sized  but  all  of  those  obtained  from  the  different  win- 
views  dows  of  the  building  should,  if  possible,  be  framed  by 
trees.  It  may  not  always  be  possible  to  preserve  all 
of  the  views  and  in  most  cases  it  is  better  to  emphasize 
a  few  good  vistas  instead  of  a  great  many  poor  ones. 
The  type  of  tree  which  is  best  for  such  a  frame  is  that 
kind  which  will  eventually  become  a  large  tree.  The 
white  elm  is  an  excellent  tree  for  this  purpose  as  well 
as  the  Norway  maple,  American  sycamore,  white  ash, 
and  scarlet  oak. 

Sometimes  there  are  undesirable  surroundings  which 
may  be  seen  from  the  school  house  or  from  the  vari- 
ous parts  of  the  grounds,  and  in  this  case  a  group  of 
trees  may  be  used  to  "plant  it  out,"  as  it  is  often 
termed.  The  Carolina  poplar,  Lombardy  poplar,  and 
Trees  as  a  soft  maple  are  rapid  growers  and  may  be  used  for 
screen  screening  purposes.     It  is  thoroughly  advised,  how- 

ever, that  Black  Hills  spruce,  bull  pine,  and  Scotch 
pine  be  introduced  into  these  groups  together  with  the 
before  mentioned  quick  growers  so  that  an  all-year- 
around  screen  will  eventually  be  secured. 

Shade  is  essential  on  all  school  grounds  in  that  it 
offers  cool,  inviting  places  to  sit  and  thus  be  protect- 
ed from  the  hot  sun  of  the  early  fall  and  late  spring. 
It  is  not  best,  however,  to  plant  trees  for  this  purpose 
in  rows  on  the  lawn  area  which  occupies  that  space 
between  the  schoolhouse  and  the  road.  Two  or  three 
Shade  trees   on   the  lawn   are   usually   sufficient,   and   they 

trees  should  be  placed  rather  near  the  building,  but  not  di- 

rectly in  front  of  it.  If  properly  located  in  relation 
to  the  design  as  a  whole,  other  shade  trees  may  be  used 

[19] 


Pig-.  5. 

The  windbreak  seen  to  the  left  of 
the  school  house  is  very  ineffective 
in  winter.  Evergreens  should  be  used 
tog-ether  with  deciduous  trees  and 
shrubs.  By  the  addition  of  a  few 
shrubs  and  flowers  about  the  school 
house  an  entirely  different  effect  will 
be  produced.  This  is  the  Deer  Creek 
school   in  Madison  County,   Nebraska. 


Pig-.  6. 

This  is  the  same  school  as  shown 
in  Fig-.  5.  Note  the  windbreak  which 
will  not  only  serve  as  a,  background 
to  the  picture,  but  will  protect  the 
school  and  grounds  during  the  win- 
ter. The  hard  lines  of  the  building 
softened  by  the  trees,  shrubs  ana 
flowers  arranged  in  groups  about  it. 


[20] 


The  wind- 
break 


Choice  of 
material 


Trees 


ill  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  play  ground  area 
where  they  may  serve  a  useful  purpose  to  those  who 
seek  a  few  moments  rest  after  violent  exercise. 

Trees  may  form  the  framework  of  the  belt  planta- 
tions or  windbreaks  which  will  adequately  protect 
the  school  grounds  from  the  severe  winds  of  winter 
and  spring.  It  has  been  the  custom  in  Nebraska  to 
plant  trees  in  three  or  four  rows  along  the  north  and 
west  sides  of  the  grounds,  and  the  result  has  been  that 
when  the  trees  become  fifteen  years  old  or  so,  the  low- 
er branches  were  crowded  out  and  nothing  but  the 
bare  trunks  for  a  distance  of  6  to  8  feet  from  the 
ground  were  left  to  break  the  force  of  the  wind.  It 
is  essential  to  use  both  trees  and  shrubs  in  our  wind- 
breaks, and  they  may  be  grouped  in  masses  and  not 
planted  in  straight  rows.  The  width  of  this  border 
plantation  should  vary,  thus  creating  certain  bays  or 
hollows  formed  by  the  curved  outline  of  the  shrub 
and  tree  masses.  The  natural  result  of  such  planting 
will  he  to  make  the  size  of  the  grounds  seem  greater, 
and  to  create  a  more  interesting  border  composed  of 
masses  of  trees  and  flowering  shrubs.  This  will  at 
the  same  time  serve  a  utilitarian  purpose  in  the  pro- 
tecting of  the  sehoolhouse  and  its  environments  from 
the  winds. 

Questions  on  choice  of  trees  and  shrubs  for  wind- 
breaks are  constantly  being  asked.  There  are  a  great 
many  trees  and  shrubs  that  may  be  used  in  eastern 
Nebraska,  but  in  the  very  dry  localities,  they  must  be 
chosen  with  great  care.  It  is  thoroughly  advised  to 
introduce  evergreens  in  the  belt  plantations  both  in 
the  eastern  and  western  parts  of  the  state.  They  are 
very  drought  resistant  and  make  fast  growth  when 
once  established.  Among  those  which  may  be  used  in 
eastern  Nebraska  are  the  native  bull,  jack,  Austrian, 
Scotch  and  white  pines,  the  red  cedar,  the  concolor 
fir.  the  Black  Hills,  Colorado  blue,  and  Douglas 
spruces,  Avhile  the  Jack  and  bull  pines  may  be  grown  in 


[21] 


Pig.  7. 

An  example  of  the  type  of  school 
grounds  to  be  found  in  Nebraska. 
It  is  almost  entirely  devoid  of  tree 
and    shrub    growth.' 


Tig.  8. 

This  is  the  same  school  house 
shown  in  Fig.  7,  properly  plante<3- 
Xote  the  windbreak  in  the  rear  and 
the  shrub  and  flower  planting  about 
the  base  of  the  building. 


[22] 


almost  any  part  of  the  state.  The  deciduous  trees 
vrhieh  may  be  introduced  into  the  windbreak  may  in- 
clude honey  locust,  white  elm,  hackberry,  green  ash, 
and  Kussian  olive  as  well  as  scarlet  oak,  pin  oak  and 
Norway  maple.  For  the  sake  of  introducing  variety 
in  the  masses  of  the  border  plantation  smaller  trees 
may  be  used  such  as  red  bud,  wild  plum,  prairie  crab, 
and  chokecherry. 

Shrubs  are  essential  elements  of  the  windbreak  in- 
asmuch as  they  supply  the  much  needed  undergrowth 
which  fills  in  the  space  between  the  ground  and  the 
foliage  of  the  trees,  thus  producing  a  barrier  which 
Shrubs  should  offer  adequate  protection  to  the  schoolhouse 
and  its  environments.  The  elderberry,  sumac,  snow- 
berry,  coralberry,  red  dogwood,  buffalo  berry,  wild 
currant,  honeysuckle,  snowball,  Van  Houtt's  spirea, 
lilac,  mock  orange,  Juneberry,  Amur  River  and  Polish 
privets,  rosa  rugosa,  as  well  as  many  others,  may  be 
recommended  for  the  eastern  part  of  Nebraska,  while 
the  sandcherry,  smooth  sumac  and  Russian  mulberry, 
buffalo  berry,  bush  honeysuckle,  spireas  and  viburn- 
ums may  be  grown  in  the  more  arid  portions.  It  must 
be  borne  in  mind,  however,  that  there  are  portions  of 
this  state  which  do  not  readily  support  tree  and  shrub 
growth  without  watering  or  irrigation,  as  well  as  a 
great  deal  of  personal  attention,  and  for  this  reason 
it  is  doubtful  if  any  list  of  trees  and  shrubs  could  be 
recommended  at  present  that  will  be  entirely  free 
from  criticism. 

Shrubs  may  be  grouped  about  the  base  of  the  school 

building  for  the  purpose  of  blending  the  straight  and 

vertical  architectural  lines  of  the  structure  into  the 

gentle  flowing  lines  of  its  surroundings.     These  shrubs 

Shrubbery  should  be  planted  in  groups  instead  of  one  continu- 

Planting       ous   mass    extending   entirely    around   the    building. 

about  Portions  of  the  foundation  should  be  visible  in  order 

school-  that  the  structure  will  at  least  give  the  impression  of 

house  standing  on  the  ground.     Usually  the  larger  speci- 

[23] 


mens  should  be  planted  at  the  corners  with  the  medi- 
um and  smaller  growing  ones  in  front.  It  might  be 
well  to  use  some  of  the  better  flowering  varieties 
about  the  building  and  among  them  might  be  men- 
tioned Weigelia  rosea,  Lonicera  Morrowii,  Lonicera 
tartarica,  Forsythia  fortunei,  and  Spirea  Van  Hout- 
tei,  which  should  be  placed  in  the  background,  and 
Berberis  Thunbergii,  Symphoricarpos  racemosus,  Rho- 
dotypus  kerrioides,  Symphoricarpos  vulgaris,  Rosa 
rugosa,  and  Ribes  aureum  which  may  be  planted  in 
front  of  the  higher  growing  ones. 

When  making  a  planting  plan  for  any  desired  lo- 
Grouping  cation  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  a  conglomeration 
of  shrubs  of  different  kinds  of  shrubs  and  trees  will  not  usually 
produce  the  proper  effect  for  that  particular  part  of 
the  design.  It  is  essential  that  the  principles  of  uni- 
ty, form,  texture,  color,  etc.,  as  well  as  variety,  should 
be  strictly  adhered  to.  The  characteristics  of  the 
plants  should,  then,  be  given  very  careful  considera- 
tion. There  are  tall  spire  shaped  trees  as  well  as 
low  globular  forms.  Some  shrubs  have  an  upright 
habit  of  growth  while  others  are  more  low  and  spread- 
ing. In  view  of  this  fact  a  word  may  be  necessary  as 
to  the  proper  placing  of  them  in  the  masses.  Shrubs 
should  be  planted  in  groups  of  5  to  15  or  20.  In  some 
instances  it  may  be  necessary  to  plant  more  than  those 
amounts  in  one  group.  The  taller  shrubs  should  be 
placed  in  the  background  and  about  4  to  5  feet  apart. 
The  medium  growing  kinds  may  be  placed  in  front  of 
these  (the  individual  plants  placed  3  to  4  feet  apart) 
and  the  low  growing  shrubs  iu  the  foreground  (2  to  3 
feet  apart.  Not  only  should  the  shrubs  be  arranged 
according  to  height  but  the  color  and  time  oE  bloom  is 
also  essential.  Among  our  native  shrubs  we  have;  some 
which  have  red  flowers,  while  others  have  yellow, 
cream,  pink,  rose  or  white  ones.  It  is  very  necessary 
that  the  color  schemes  be  planned  with  a  great  deal  of 
care.     The  unharmonious  colors,  such  as  red  and  pink 

[24] 


or  blue  and  red.  should  not  be  placed  together,  but 
should  in  fact  be  separated  by  a  shrub  which  has  white 
flowers.  However,  the  shrub  which  has  the  red  flowers 
might  bloom  in  May  while  the  pink  flowered  one  would 
not  bloom  until  the  latter  part  of  June,  and  in  this  case 
it  would  be  correct  to  place  these  together,  if  they  car- 
ried out  the  desired  effect  in  the  mass  as  regards 
height  and  texture.  It  would  not  be  in  the  best  of 
taste  to  use  coarse  leaved  shrubs  entirely,  nor  would 
it  be  correct  to  use  shrubs  which  have  only  fine  leaves. 
To  carry  out  a  variation  in  the  texture  it  will  be  nec- 
essary to  group  together  shrubs  of  heavy  and  medium, 
heavy  and  light,  or  medium  and  light  foliage. 

Flowers  may  be  planted  in  the  shrub  borders  as 
Flowers  well  as  about  the  school  building,  in  groups  of  per- 
haps 5  to  8  or  10,  and  only  those  species  should  be 
chosen  that  will  bloom  in  the  spring  and  fall  at  which 
times  the  school  will  be  in  session.  The  taller  kinds 
should  naturally  be  placed  in  the  background  and  the 
smaller  ones  in  front.  The  kind  of  floAvers  that  should 
be  used  on  school  grounds  are  those  which  require 
the  least  amount  of  care.  Herbaceous  perennials 
such  as  columbine,  aster,  hardy  chrysanthemum,  del- 
phinium, pinks,  iris,  lily,  peony,  oriental  poppy,  wild 
phlox,  and  yucca  are  especially  recommended.  They 
die  down  to  the  ground  during  the  winter  months  and 
grow  again  the  following  spring.  Flower  beds  should 
never  be  placed  in  the  lawn. 

Vines  and  climbing  roses  may  be  grown  on  the 
building  as  well  as  on  the  outhouses  and  fences.  Trel- 
lises made  of  wood,  or  wire  should  be  used,  especial- 
Vines  ly  if  the  structure  is  constructed  of  wood.  The  hon- 
eysuckles, clematis,  and  rambler  roses  are  to  be  es- 
pecially recommended  for  growing  about  the  school- 
house  while  Engleman's  ivy,  wild  grape,  honeysuckle 
and  Clematis  mav  be  grown  on  the  outbuildings. 


[25] 


CONSTRUCTION  AND  MAINTAINENCE 


It  has  been  suggested  by  many  prominent  men  in- 
terested in  the  development  of  school  grounds  of  our 
country  that  some  sort  of  a  planting  bee  might  be  ap- 
propriate in  the  spring  when  the  fathers  and  older 
brothers  might  be  drafted  for  a  few  days  to  help  out 
in  the  planting.  In  some  instances  it  is  not  possible 
Executing  to  carry  out  all  of  the  design  the  first  year  and  in 
the  plan  fact  it  would  be  better  if  the  work  were  carried  over 
for  a  period  of  three  or  four  years.  The  execution  of 
the  design  might  in  this  case  be  done  by  the  students 
themselves  under  the  careful  supervision  of  the  teach- 
er. The  trees  should  be  carefully  located  and  plant- 
ed the  first  year.  The  walks,  playground  areas  and 
service  drive  should  be  located  and  built  at  the  same 
time.  The  shrubs  may  be  planted  after  the  trees  have 
had  one  year  to  establish  themselves.  Flowers  in  the 
way  of  herbaceous  perennials  or  annuals  may  be 
planted  the  third  year.  It  will  not  be  necessary  to  go 
into  detail  as  to  the  construction  of  the  play  ground 
areas,  walks,  of  the  service  drive  as  such  matters  are 
well  understood. 

After  the  tree  and  shrub  areas  have  been  laid  out 
on  the  ground  in  accordance  with  the  plan  they  should 
Planting  be  thoroughly  spaded  up  to  a  depth  of  at  least  12 
inches.  It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  trees  and 
shrubs  should  be  placed  deeper  in  the  ground  than 
they  were  before  being  moved.  In  the  dryer  parts  of 
the  state  it  is  well  to  plant  them  3  inches  lower.  The 
trees  should  be  planted  first  and  the  location  for  the 
shrubs  marked  by  stakes.  The  holes  should  then  be 
dug  for  the  shrubs  in  these  spaded  areas  and  the  plants 
set  in  place.  The  perennials  should  be  planted  in 
much  the  same  manner  as  the  shrubs ;  the  taller  ones 
toward  the  rear  of  the  group ;  the  medium  size  next  in 
front  and  the  lower  growing  kinds  in  the  foreground 
Plant  them  deep  enough  to  prevent  the  roots  from 

[26] 


being  exposed  after  the  first  rainfall.  The  ground 
must  be  packed  about  the  roots.  The  test  of  good 
planting  is  proven  when  it  is  impossible  to  pull  the 
plants  up.  These  planting  areas  should  be  carefully 
cultivated  for  the  first  three  years  or  so  after  being 
Culti-  planted  and  the   weeds  kept  away   from  the   trees, 

vation  shrubs  and  flowers  at  all  times  inasmuch  as  they  sap 

the  moisture  from  the  ground  which  the  latter  should 
have.  In  other  words  the  planting  areas  will  have 
to  be  treated  in  exactly  the  same  way  as  you  would 
care  for  a  garden  for  these  areas  are  nothing  more  or 
less  than  gardens  of  trees,  shrubs  and  flowers. 

If  water  is  obtainable  on  the  grounds  it  might  be 
well  to  water  the  plants  once  every  day  or  every  other 
Watering  day  until  well  established.  Furthermore,  it  may  be 
a  good  expedient  to  apply  water  from  time  to  time 
during  the  summer  months,  especially  the  first  year 
after  planting. 

Each  spring  the  trees  and  shrubs  will  have  to  be 
pruned  back;  that  is,  cutting  out  the  dead  wood  and 
cutting  back  the  last  year's  growth  in  order  that  the 
plant  will  throw  out  more  branches,  thus  making  a 
Pruning  more  dense  growth.  There  are  many  good  bulletins 
and  books  written  upon  the  subject  of  pruning  trees 
and  shrubs  and  it  might  be  well  to  acquire  one  before 
attempting  any  pruning. 

A  mulch  of  straw  or  manure  should  be  spread  over 

the  perennial  beds  after  the  ground  has  frozen  and 

Care  of        raked  ott"  in  the  spring  when  the  danger  of  frost  has 

flowers         passed.     The  cannas  and  dahlia  bulbs  must  be  dug  up 

in  the  fall  and  placed  in  a  cool  cellar.     In  the  spring 

they  should  be  divided  and  replanted. 

A  good  lawn  is  one  of  the  first  and  most  fundament- 
al features  of  the   grounds,  but  nothing  in   garden 
making  requires  more  thorough  preparation  and  dili- 
Making        gent   care   than    does   a   perfect    lawn.     The    ground 
the  lawn     should  be  plowed  and  harrowed  three  to  five  times  in 
each  direction.     Then  apply  well  rotted  barnyard  ma- 

[27] 


nure  at  the  rate  of  twenty-five  tons  to  the  acre  and 
work  it  well  into  the  soil.  Rake  to  a  perfect  grade 
and  seed  with  the  following  mixture : 

Kentucky  Blue  Grass -10  parts  by  weight 

Canada  Blue  Grass 20  parts  by  weight 

Fancy  Red   Top 15  parts  by  weight 

Meadow  Fescue   10  parts  by  weight 

Paeey's  or  English  Rye....  5  parts  by  weight 

R.  I.  Bent 10  parts  by  weight 

White  Clover 12  parts  by  weight 

81 2  bushels  of  this  mixture  should  be  sown  to  the 
acre,  or  one  pound  to  300  square  feet.  The  ground 
should  be  raked  in  order  that  the  seed  will  be  entire- 
ly covered,  and  then  rolled  with  no  less  than  300 
pound  roller.  Do  not  make  the  mistake  of  too  fre- 
quent waterings  as  they  have  a  tendency  to  weaken 
Care  of  the  drought  resisting  qualities  of  the  lawn.  Allow 
the  lawn  the  grass  to  grow  three  inches  or  so  before  mowing 
the  first  time,  and  then  keep  it  about  two  inches  high. 
During  the  early  winter,  when  the  ground  is  frozen, 
a  light  application  of  well  rotted  manure  will  aid  to 
offset  the  eft'ect  of  alternate  freezing  and  thawing 
and  serve  also  as  a  fertilizer.  The  manure  should  be 
raked  off  in  the  early  spring. 

It  is  well  to  plant  groups  of  narcissus  in  the  lawn 

Bulbs  in       after  it  is  well  established.     They  add  interest  in  the 

the  lawn       early  spring  and  die  down  long  before  it  is  necessary 

to  mow.     Plant  them  in  irregular  groups  of  50  to  100, 

6  to  12  inches  apart  and  5  to  7  inches  deep. 

A  LIST  OF  TREES,  SHRUBS  AND  HERBACEOUS 

PERENNIALS  RECOMMENDED  BY  THE  STATE 

HORTICULTURAL  SOCIETY 

(This  list  applies  to  the  entire  state  except  where  otherwise 

specified.) 
SHADE   TREES 
Golden  Poplar   (for  trial,  Magnolia  Accuminata 

Hackberry  AVild  Black  Clieny 

[28] 


Sycamore  (S.  E.  part  of  state)    Auiericau  Linden 


Mountain  Ash 

Black    Walnut 

Butternut 

Ash 

Soft  Maple 

American  Elm 

English  Elm 

Purple  Leaved  Elm   (English ] 

European  Larch   (East  part) 

Kentucky  Coffee  Tree 

Ked  Bud 

Tulip  Tree  (East  part; 


White  Birch 

Horse  Cliestnut  (East  part) 

Sweet  Chestnut  (East  part) 

Russian  Olive 

Oaks 

Hard  3Iaple  (East  part  of  state) 

Norway  Maple 

Schwederlii  "s  Maple 

Wier's  Cut  Leaf  Maple 

Catalpa  Speciosa  (East  part) 

Catapla  Buugei  (East  part; 


FOREST  TREES 

Black  Locust  (Extreme  west;       Honey  Locust 


**Elm 

Ash 

Soft  Maple 

Catalpa  Speciosa  (East  half 

Walnut,  Black 

Carolina  Poplar 


Russian  Mulberry  (except  ex- 
treme west) 
Osage  Orange 
Box  Elder 
Cottonwood 
Norway  Poplar 


EVERGREENS 


**Black  Hills  Spruce 
Picea  Pungens 
Englemon  Spruce 
Douglas  Spruce  (Extreme  east- 
ern part) 
Abies  Concolor 


**Jack  Pine  (Windbreaks  and 

groves; 
White  Pine  (Extreme  eastern 

part) 
Balsam  Fir  (Extreme  eastern 

part) 
** Austrian  Pine 


HARDY  SHRUBS 


Flowering  Almond  (Pink  and 

white ) 
Purple  Barberry 
Buckthorn 


Caragana 

Bush  Honeysuckle  (Lonicera' 

Flowering  Currant 

Deutzia 


**Denotes  those  specially  recommended. 


[29] 


Dogwood,  FloAvering 
Elaeagnus  (Wild  Olive) 
Elder  (Golden  Leafj 
Exochorda 

Flowering  Crab   (Bechtols) 
Forsythia 
Fringe  Tree 
Hj'drangeas 
High  Bush  Cranberry 
Japan  Quince 
Lilacs 
Privet 

Eosa  Kugosa 
Snowball 
Snowberry 
Sumac 
Spireas 
Arguta, 


Bridal  Wreath,  bumalda,  An- 
thony Waterer,  Douglas,  Gol- 
den leaved,  opulifolia,  Thun- 
bergii.  Van  Houttei. 

Philadelphus 

Tamarix  Amurensis 

Wahoo 

Weigelia 

Viburnum  opulus  (var.  Sterilis) 
Snowball 

Viburnum  acerifolium 

Vibuinuin  lantana  (Wayfaring 
tree) 

Viburnum  lentago  (Sheepberry) 

Viburnum  opulus  (High  Bush 
Cranberry ) 

Yucca  filamentosa 


ash-leaved     Billardi, 

PERENNIALS 


Asters 

Boltonia 

Bleeding  Heart 

Campanula 

Coreopsis 

Columbine 

Chrysanthemums 

Shasta  Daisy 

Dianthus  Sweet  AVilliam 

Funkia 

Fox  Glove 

Hibiscus 


American  Ivy  (Englemann) 

Honeysuckles 

Wistaria 

Trumpet  Vine 


1  lolly  hocks 

Iberis  sempervirens 

Iris 

Gallardia 

Goklen  Glow 

Gypsophila 

Larkspur 

Oriental   Poppy 

Phlox 

Platycodon 

Tritoma  (annual) 


VINES 


Clematis 
Bitter  Sweet 
Wild  Grape 


[80] 


CLIMBING  ROSES 

Crimson  Eanihler  Prairie  Queen 

White  Rambler  Baltimore  Bell 

Wichurania  Creeper  Dorothy  Perkins 

CONCLUSION 

The  object  of  this  paper  is  mainly  to  create  an  inter- 
est in  the  improvement  of  the  rural  school  grounds  in 
this  article  Nebraska.     It  is  hoped  however,  a  few  points  may  be 
Object  of     derived  which  will  be  of  some  service  to  the  reader, 
though  the  author  has  not  intended  that  all  the  sugges- 
tions contained  herein  be  applied  to  all  cases. 

The  Department  of  Horticulture  of  the  University 
of  Nebraska  has  men  trained  in  the  art  of  landscape 
Assistance    gardening  who  will  be  glad  to  aid  those  within  this 
offered  by    state  who  may  apply  for  assistance  in  the  development 
writer  of  school  grounds.     In  rendering  this  assistance  it  is 

necessary  that  they  have  a  sketch  of  the  grounds 
which  should  include  the  dimensions  of  the  lot,  an 
arrow  pointing  toward  the  north,  some  indications  of 
the  best  views  seen  from  the  sehoolhouse,  the  dimen- 
sions of  the  buildings,  the  position  of  windows  and 
doors  and  the  relative  location  of  trees,  walks  and 
road  indicated  bv  measured  distances. 


[31] 


■;s^ 


)523 


